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Feb 17, 2008
Blog
It's one thing to watch the scene of campus shooting in a distant state, like last year at Virginia Tech. It's a very different feeling when the scene is not just in my state, but at the school I've been a part of for the last 20 years.
Even though I was in Springfield at the time of the shooting, I could imagine the horror felt in that classroom. I've walked by Cole Hall countless times, but in the future I'll pass it with knowledge of the tragic loss of life. I've taught in other lecture halls at NIU, but in the future I'll teach with heightened knowledge that my students are faced with concerns for safety as well as learning.
For now, my thoughts and prayers go to my colleagues at NIU, the staff, students, and community, and most of all for the victims and their families. It will take time and effort to heal and restore NIU to its proud mission of education. It was my privilege to do a small part by leading a moment of silence on Friday in the Illinois House of Representative.
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